Method for displaying and marketing alcoholic beverages

ABSTRACT

The invention includes an apparatus for marketing, displaying, measuring, or mixing bottled alcoholic beverages in bars, restaurants, and other places that sell alcoholic beverages. The invention enables visual examination of bottles that have caps with a hole for purposes of display by freely hanging from hooks. The invention provides the ability to display bottled alcoholic beverages, recipe cards, and promotional materials in an upright, hanging fashion on displays. In a bar or restaurant, the invention provides the ability to transport many different alcoholic beverages directly to the countertop or table that enables the beverage to be displayed for purchase or mixing with a number of other drinks. For the purposes of displaying the alcoholic beverages, the invention includes a base, a frame, and wire racks having hooks. The hooks are used for hanging bottled alcoholic beverages, recipe cards, and promotional materials.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and method forsupporting and transporting bottled alcoholic beverages and formarketing and providing bottled alcoholic beverages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Previously, bottled alcoholic beverages have been displayed inbars, restaurants, liquor stores, convenience stores and grocery storeson long shelves along side numerous other brands. Each individual brandis not customarily displayed together on one upright display in ahanging fashion. Furthermore, prior displays are not known to include adisplay device in the shape of the bottles hanging from it along withrecipe cards and promotional materials also for hanging from thedisplay. Previously it was not known to market a set of bottledalcoholic beverages and a display device together with drink-specificrecipe cards and promotional materials.

[0003] Previously, in a bar or restaurant bottled alcoholic beverageshave not been displayed on a device which may be transported directly tothe countertop or table where the customer is located. Previously,customers had to request the type of mixed drink they would like andwait for the server or bartender to prepare it for them. Those pre-mixeddrinks are not normally prepared according to the consumers' desiredtaste rather according to the preference of the server or bartender.Although, individual bottles of alcoholic beverages are sometimesbrought to a customers table allowing them to pour or mix their owndrinks, it was not previously known to provide a display with aplurality of alcoholic beverage bottles hanging from it for theconsumers' individual selection and mixing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides a device for displaying bottledalcoholic beverages. The display includes a frame supported by a basewherein the frame is upright and preferably shaped like a bottle withwire racks. Hooks are distributed along the wire rack and used forsupporting the plurality of provided bottled alcoholic beverages as wellas recipes and promotional materials. The provided bottled alcoholicbeverage caps have holes in them such that they fit over a hook. Oncethe provided bottled alcoholic beverages are placed on the hooks,consumers who are close by are able to easily see and choose from aplurality of bottles at once.

[0005] The Applicant has further created a unique and useful method ofmarketing which includes packaging and providing a plurality of bottledalcoholic beverages, recipes, promotional and sales materials and anupright display device. The display can be a bottle shaped structurehaving circular racks and hooks around each rack for hanging the bottledalcoholic beverages. The provided bottled alcoholic beverages havespecially designed caps with holes in the center for hanging on thehooks around each rack. When the bottled alcoholic beverages, recipesand promotional materials are placed around the racks they are visibleto the user for selecting and drink preparation. Once the bottledalcoholic beverages and promotional materials are placed around theracks, the display may be placed on a table or countertop in a bar orrestaurant. In addition to the bottled alcoholic beverages provided onthe display, non-alcoholic diluting bottled beverages as well as glassesare provided and placed next to the display. The user may selectindividual bottles off the rack for mixing with the providednon-alcoholic diluting bottled beverage according to provided recipes tocreate a mixed drink of desired taste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The foregoing objects, advantages, and features, as well as otherobjects and advantages, will become more apparent with reference to thedescription, claims and drawings below, in which like numerals representlike elements and in which:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the display showing a plurality ofbottles fixedly associated with individual hooks wherein the display isbeing manually transported.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the display showing a recipecard and a plurality of bottles fixedly associated with individual hookswhere one of the bottles is being manually lifted from one of the hooks.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the mixing of a drink bypouring two provided beverages into a glass.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a side elevatioanls view of the display showing a recipecard and a plurality of bottles associated with individual hooks.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of marketingwhereby a display is provided as well as bottled alcoholic beverages,recipes and promotional materials for hanging on the display areprovided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012]FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view of the display 10 constructed of asupporting material, such as metal. The display is defined by a frame12, base 20, supporting means 22 a, b, wire racks 14 a, b, hooks 16 a, band handle 18. The frame 12 is attached to the base 20 on both ends ofthe supporting means 22 so that the frame 12 stands in an uprightposition. The wire racks 14 are connected to the supporting means 24 oneach side. The wire racks 14 a, b are attached to each supporting means22 a, b on opposite sides of the wire rack 14 a, b. Hooks 16 a areattached and evenly distributed around each of the wire racks 14 a, b.The hooks 16 a are arranged in an outwardly facing direction andparallel to the base so that bottled alcoholic beverages 28 can hangfrom them. Furthermore, the wire racks 14 a, b are positionedhorizontally and far enough apart to allow the hanging of bottledalcoholic beverages 28 without them coming into contact with one anotheror the frame 10. There is also preferably a large hook 16 b attached tothe upper most wire rack 14 a for use in hanging recipes 26 and otherpromotional and sales materials. The display 10 is shown with sixbottled alcoholic beverages 28 hanging between the two racks 14 a, b. Asis seen from FIG. 1, the bottled alcoholic beverages 28 are supported bythe small hooks 16 a through a hole in the cap of the bottled alcoholicbeverages 28. Each bottled alcoholic beverages 28 is evenly spaced suchthat it does not come into contact with any other bottle or any part ofthe frame 12. The handle 18 of a wire material similar to the frame 12and racks 16 a, b is attached to the top of the frame 12. A plasticshell 24 preferably in the shape of a bottle cap encases the handle 18.A hole 19 large enough for at least one finger to fit through is cut outof the upper portion of the plastic shell, creating a secure means forcarrying the display 10.

[0013]FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 show a side view of the display 10 with fourbottled alcoholic beverages 28 hanging from the same number of hooks 16a and a recipe card 26 hanging from the large hook 16 b. FIG. 2 furtherdepicts one of the hanging bottled alcoholic beverages 28 being manuallylifted from the display 10. The provided recipe card 26 may be used tomeasure the appropriate amount of bottled alcoholic beverage 28 anddiluting non-alcoholic beverage 29 to be used in making a mixed drink 30of the desired taste. Furthermore, the large hook 16 b may also be usedfor the purposes of hanging promotional and sales materials.

[0014]FIG. 3 shows one of the bottled alcoholic beverages 28 beingpoured along with a diluting non-alcoholic beverage 29 into a glass 32for the purposes of making a mixed drink 30. Although, FIG. 3 depictsthe beverages being poured directly from the bottle, other measuringmeans may be used to determine the desired amounts of the bottledalcoholic beverage 28 and diluting non-alcoholic beverage 29 beforepouring into the glass 32.

[0015]FIG. 5 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of doing businessfor providing a display, a plurality of bottled alcoholic beverages,recipes and promotional materials. It is seen that this method ofmarketing includes the step of the supplier preparing bottled alcoholicbeverages, displays, recipes and promotional materials, selling andsetting up delivery to distributors schematically depicted as step 40 inthe flow diagram FIG. 5. The step of selling, of course, entails thecorresponding receipt of value to the seller. Furthermore, where thebottled alcoholic beverages, recipes and promotional materials aredepleted at the point of sale step 40 may also include the process ofreselling the depleted items. Examples of some of the recipes that couldbe provided are “3 Some” and “3 Cosmo”. Examples of some of thepromotional materials that could be provided are materials describingreviews on the bottled alcoholic beverages, descriptions of producthistory, suggestions for use and consumption as well as locations wherethe product may be purchased. Step 42 depicts the process of deliveringthe same materials

What is claimed is: 1-13. (Canceled)
 14. A display for hanging bottles,promotional and sales materials on display, the display comprising; abase; a handle encased by a plastic shell; a frame adapted fordisplaying said hanging bottles in a visible manner and formed in theshape of said hanging bottles where said frame has a curvature at itscenter point causing sections of said frame on either side of thecurvature to be positioned parallel to one another and acting as supportmembers and said base is connected to each end of the support members toopposite sides of the base to cause said frame to be supported in anupright position; racks adapted for supporting said hanging bottles in avisible manner, said frame and said racks being constructed of a metalmaterial and said racks being fixedly connected within said frame toenable a plurality of bottles, including bottle caps with a hole, foundin each one, for purposes of display by freely hanging from hooks,without coming into contact with another bottle, or the frame or thebase, and wherein said hooks are fixedly connected to said racks in anoutwardly facing direction at distances along the racks to enable aplurality of bottles, recipes and/or promotional materials to hangvertically from said hooks.
 15. A display as set forth in claim 14,wherein said plastic shell has a shape of a bottle cap with a carryinghole in the upper portion of the shell to enable one to securelytransport said display with at least one finger.
 16. A display as setforth in claim 14, wherein the display can be used for training andexplaining the proper manner of presenting the display to consumers. 17.A display as set forth in claim 14, wherein the display can be used formixing by the consumer by selecting the desired bottled alcoholicbeverage from the display and mixing with the desired amount of mix forpurposes of drinking.